Apparatus for cutting a thread end from a spool



K. LINGEN Sept. 18, 1956 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING A THREAD END FROM A SPOOL Filed -Dec. 20 1951 INVENTOR. M65- H RL HEINZ A United States Patent" "Otiice APPARATUS FOR CUTTING A THREAD END FROM A SPOOL Karlheinz Lingen, Munchen-Gladbach, Germany Application December 20, 1951, Serial No. 262,625 Claims priority, application Germany January 18, 1951 7 Claims. (Cl. 164-47) The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting a thread end from a spool, particularly from spools used in automatic spinning machines.

In automatic spinning machines it is customary to have a thread end located between the spool and driving member therefor at the start of the winding of the thread on the spool, and this thread'end presents certain difliculties in the use of the spool after the thread has been wound thereon. Devices such as knives and the like have been provided to remove this thread end, but these A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above type which is capable of automatically moving the spool to another positiont'after a thread end has been severed therefrom. 7

Yet another object of the present invention is'to pro-- vide a device, capable of accomplishing the above objects, which is of a simple construction and reliable in operation. a

With the above objects in view, the presentinvention mainly consists of a nozzle adapted to have a spool end located therein. A suction is produced in this nozzle and an ejector ejects the spool end from the nozzle so that a thread end is maintained within the nozzle by the suction therein, the spool falling onto an inclined support located beneath the nozzle. A cutting means is located between the inclined support and nozzle so that the thread end extends across the cutting meanswhen the spool has fallen onto the inclined support, the latterbeing provided with a tiltable stop to hold the spool in place on the support. An operating means engages the tiltable stop to hold the spool in place on the support, and this operating means is connected to the cutting means and ejector for first operating the ejector to drop the spool from the nozzle onto the inclined support and for then operating the cutting means to .cut the thread end from the spool, the operatingmeans then. releasing the tiltable stop so that the latter is tilted by the spool sliding'down the inclined support. I

One possible embodiment of a structure for.;carrying out the present invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing. r p 2 j Referring to the drawing, there is shown therein a spool 1 which, in the illustrated dotted line position, has the end 3 thereof located within the inner tube 6 of the nozzle 8 which has an outer tube 7 located about and spaced from the inner tube 6. A suction is produced, by any suitable means, in the space between the tubes 6 v and 7 so as to pull a thread end 2 from the end 3 of spool 1 into the space between the tubes 6 and 7. In the dotted line position shown in the drawing, the spool 1 may be supported on any suitable tray or the like, located in front of the nozzle 8. An ejector member 12 is mounted for reciprocating movement on any suitable the ejector 12 will be reciprocated to move the spoolpivotally connected to the blade support such as wall 12',

this ejector member 12 having a collar 30 fixed thereon and a coil spring 31 located thereabout between wall 12' and collar 30 to urge the ejector member 12 to the right, as viewed in the drawing.

A lever 25, 26 is mounted for turning movement on a shaft 27 and has the portion 25 thereof pivotally connected at 29 to the right end of ejector 12, as viewed in the drawing. The lower end of portion 26 of lever 25, 26 engages a cam 32 so that, when the latter is rotated,

1 out of the inner tube 6 of nozzle 8, the spool 1 then falling onto the the inclined support 22, while the thread 2 remains within the nozzle 8 due therein.

Located on the inclined support 22 is a stop member 23 which is tiltably mounted at 39 and includes a lower projecting portion 44, the latter being engaged by the stop to hold the stop 23 in the position shown in the drawing so as to prevent the spool 1 from sliding down the support 22.

Connected to the tube 7 of nozzle 8, on the lower side thereof, is a cutting means which, in the embodiment shown, is in the form of a scissors having blades 20 and 21, the blade 20 being stationary and the blade 21 being 20'for turning movement with respect thereto. A bar member 35 is pivotally connected at its left end, as viewed in the drawing, to the movable scissors blade 21, this bar 35 being mounted for reciprocating movement'on a stationary support 35' and having its right end, as viewed in the drawing, pivotally connected to the upper portion 34 of lever 33, 34 which is rotatably mounted on the stationary shaft 27 along with lever 25, 26. The portion 33 of lever 33, 34 engages the rotatable cam 38 which is fixedly mounted together with cam 32 on a common cam shaft, as illustrated. Lever portion 33 has a rigid extension on which the stop 40 is fixedly mounted. A spring 36 is mounted between the support 35' and lever portion 34 to urge the latter in the direction of arrow 37.

After the spool 1 has been dropped onto the inclined support 22 by the ejector 12, as was described above, the turning of cam 38 causes the spring 36 to move the lever portion 34 in the direction of arrow 37 so that bar 35 turns blade 21 with respect to the blade 20 to cut off the 1 thread end 2 from the spool 1. The turning of cam 38 and action of spring 36 causes the stop 40 to move away from portion 44 of the tiltable stop 23 so that the latter may be tilted by the weightof spool 1 which is then free to slide down the support 22 to a collection box,

for example. The portion 44 of tiltable stop 23 is heavier than any other part of stop 23 so that after the spool' 1 has moved beyond the stop 23, the latter is moved by gravity to the positiOnJsho'Wn in the drawing, and the continued turning of cam 38 moves the stop 40 back to the position shown in the'drawing-where it holds the stop 23in position to maintain another'spool shown in the drawing, repeated.

. It will be understood that each of the elements de- 1 in position so that the above cycle may be scribed above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of apparatus for cutting a thread from an end of a spool differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in apparatus having an easily accessible cutting means for cutting a thread end from a spool, it is l atented Sept. 18, 1956,

to the suction produced not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications. and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fullyreveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the means and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for cutting an end of a thread from a. spool, comprising in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to have an end of a spool located therein; ejector means associated with said nozzle to eject a spool therefrom so that a suction in the nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is ejected therefrom; support means located beneath said nozzle to support a spool after the same has been ejected from said nozzle; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle and being mounted on the latter; and actuating means operatively connected to said cutting means for operating the latter after a spool has been dropped onto said support by said ejector means so as to cut a thread end extending from the spool into the nozzle.

2. Apparatus for cutting an end of a thread from a spool, comprising in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to have an end of a spool located therein and retain said end of thread; ejector means associated with said nozzle to eject a spool therefrom so that a suction in the nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is ejected therefrom; inclined support means located beneath said nozzle to support a spool after the samehas beeen ejected from said nozzle, said support means including a stop member tiltably mounted thereonto releasably hold a spool in place on said support means; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle and being mounted on the latter; and. actuating means operatively connected to said cutting means for operating the latter after a spool has been dropped onto. said support by said ejector means so as to cut a threadend extending from the spool into the nozzle.

3. Apparatus for cutting anend of a thread from a spool, comprising in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to have an end of a spool located therein and retain said end of thread; ejector means associated with said nozzle to eject a spool therefrom sothat a suction in the nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is ejected therefrom; support means located beneath said nozzle to support a spool after the same has been ejected, from said nozzle; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle and being mounted on the latter; and actuating means operatively connected to said ejector means and said cutting means for first operating said ejector means to remove a spool from said nozzle and then operate said cutting means so as to cut a thread end extending from thespool into the nozzle.

4. Apparatus for cutting an end of a thread from a spool, comprising in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to have an end of a spool located therein andretain said end of thread; ejector means associated with said nozzle to eject a spool therefrom so that a' suction in the nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is ejected therefrom; inclined support means located beneath said nozzle to support a spool after the same has been ejected from said nozzle, said support means including a stop member tiltably mounted thereon toreleasably hold a spool in place on said support means; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle and being mounted on the latter; and actuating means operatively connected to said ejector means and said cutting means for first operating said ejector means to remove a spool from said nozzle and then operate said cutting means so as tocut a thread end extending from the spool into the nozzle.

5. Apparatus for cutting the end of a thread from a spool, comprising in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to. have an end of a spool located therein and retain said' end of thread; ejector means associated with said nozzle for. ejecting. a. spool therefrom so that a suction in the nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is ejected therefrom; inclined support means located beneath said nozzle to support a spool after the same has been ejected from said nozzle, said inclined support. means having a tiltable stop member for holding a. spool in place on said support means; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle and being mounted on the latter; and actuating means operatively connected. to said cutting means and ejector means and engaging said tiltable stop member for first operating said ejector means-to drop a spool on said support means, for then operating said cutting means to sever a thread end. from the spool, and for finally releasing said tiltable stop member so that the same will be turned by the spool sliding. onsaid. support means.

6. Apparatus for cutting an end of a thread from a spool, comprising, in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to have an end of a spool located therein; movingmeans associated with said nozzle for moving a spool therefrom so that a suction in said nozzle will hold a thread end therein after the spool is moved therefrom; support means located adjacent saidnozzle for supporting a spool after it has been moved from said nozzle; cutting means located between said support means and nozzle; and actuating means operatively connected to said cutting means for operating the latter when a spool is located on said support means after movement thereof from said nozzle so as to cut a thread extending from the spool into. said nozzle.

7. Apparatus for. cutting an end of a thread from a spool,v comprising, in combination, combined retaining and first support means for supporting a spool in a first position and for retaining a thread end extending from the spool after movement of the latter from said first support means; second support means for supporting the spool in a second position spaced from said first position; movingmeans for moving a spool from said first position to said second position so that a thread end is retained by said. combined retaining and first supporting means and extends: from the =latter to a spool located in said second position on said second support means; and cutting means located between said first and second support means for cutting a thread end extending from a spool on said second support means to said combined retaining and first support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

